Diabhail Age
by Tminus10seconds
Summary: 50 years of peace in Ferelden has ended with the death of its king and the fall of the circle. The Qunari army stalks the coastlands and a blood mages rip Ferelden from the inside. Only if this was all of Ferelden's worries...


_Okay, well here we go. This is kind of my first fan fic so wish me luck. This part of story is after both origins and awakening.  
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"Damn," he swore to himself quietly, then fell face first in the redden snow. He held tightly to his wound, "to think 'tis used to be nothing." About twenty dead dark lay next to him, an enemy he thought he finally dispelled. Age was finally getting to him. He let out a painful groan as he used his sword to pick himself up. He wasn't old but he was older and fighting got more and more tiring. He had traveled for such a long time, and he had done so much in his life. He didn't want to die yet; he still had so much to do. He looked at a mighty mountain that laid in the horizon, so close, he was so very close. He traveled now on a long white plain surrounded on both sides by a thin forest. Almost as if the Maker himself cleared a path for the Warden.

The Warden let a sad sigh, "Come on out. I know your there," he pulled his sword out of the ground and readied his shield, "might as well get this over with quickly."

"I did not come to fight you, Warden." It had a crude voice that sounded as if it came from underground. Dark ooze crept through the cracks of the Earth, from it dark spawn of every type silently rose. The dark spawn that addressed the Warden appeared only a few steps away from him. It was not alone; it had with a small army of dark spawn. Almost fifty dark spawn surround the poor Warden.

Dark spawn of every type enclosed the Warden. They roared and beat their chests, but did not attack. A great armored ogre was the last to crawl out. Even it didn't make a sound when emerged from the ground. It charged straight for the Warden bucking and throwing its brethren every which way. A hand shot up before the ogre and it stopped on a few unfortunate dark spawns.

A Hurlock stepped in front of the army and towards the Grey Warden, making it obvious that he was the leader; he was dressed in chain mail hood and fine purple armor that was marked with strange dark spawn runes. His skull like face formed a sickening smile and he threw his arms up at the Warden, as if asking for a hug. The Warden glazed at the Hurlock and then glared at great armored ogre that stood among his army. The Hurlock looked almost hurt as he lowered his arms, "I am only here to talk, Warden."

The Warden's eyes raced through the army once again and let out a small laugh, "what an interesting conversation we're about to have."

"I am called The Thirst," the skeleton-like man ignored the Warden's last comment, "I was sent by the Architect, Warden."

"So I suppose this army was just in case you got lost and the squad before them was to wake me up?"

The Thirst shook his head and smiled that sick skull smile again, "Humans are…wary," the Thirst focused his voice out almost as if it hurt to talk, "of my kin, and you are hard man to track down. This…army was necessary. That…squad did not belong; it is the nature of my quest, Warden."

"Fine, then what does the Architect want?"

"He wants you to know, Warden, that his plans didn't go as well as he thought." The Thirst moved closer but the army didn't move.

"What plans? Does he mean about the dark spawn's retreat?"

The Thirst's stepped next to the Warden and threw his arm over the Warden's shoulder, "Why don't stop for a bite and I'll explain everything." The Warden threw his arm off of his shoulder, quickly plunged his sword forward and tipped the bottom of the Thirst's chin with the flat of his sword.

"You tell me now, and never touch me again." His voice was ice.

"Fine," the Thirst threw up his arms in defense, "he was right, humans are…untrusting. The Architect wanted to tell you that some of the disciples have…turned." The Hurlock said grimly.

"Turned?"

"You see, the Architect brings us to enlightenment and stops the…calling of the Old Gods. He gives us minds. Minds of our own, so he can not…control us. As you witnessed with the Mother…a shame. He is not a, what do you call them…arch demon. What we do is of our own free will."

"So, some dark spawn still feel the need to kill humans?"

"Yes, Warden you are quick, we develop our own personalities…just like humans. Some disciples just love killing, most think they are doing a…justice." The Thirst circled the Warden while he talked. His mannerism seemed very human, maybe it was just the disgusting way his human mannerism was reflected on his Hurlock body that made the Warden sick.

"A justice you say," the Warden carefully watched the strange dark spawn.

"Yes, I do not understand their reasoning, but we are born from the evil of the hearts of men, no? Some think it is there…duty to kill humans. The will of the Maker."

"Two wrongs do not make a right." Though the Warden didn't really believe that, his actions stated that.

The Thirst laughed a cold rusty laugh. The Warden could not see his expression because their backs were to each other, if he did he might have reacted quicker. "Yes, I don't understand their…reasoning." He let out one last laugh.

"I just kill for fun."

He jumped on the Warden with his dagger kissing the Warden's neck. The Warden was older but he never left the battlefield, he was faster than most. He easily threw the Hurlock off, one more quick movement and the lying dark spawn's neck jetted blood.

The Warden didn't have time to react to the monstrous, raging ogre though. It rammed him and he slammed against tree. The ogre let out another mighty roar and charged at the Warden once more.

The Warden coughed blood and felt his wounds open as new ones formed. _Does it matter?_ He thought to himself, _I started having nightmares again anyways. It was only a matter of time._ He looked up at the mountain one more time. He thought about his goal and there it was on that mountain, waiting for him. _No, I must live. I still have so much to do. For her._

He made his broken body throw itself into the snow. The ogre blindly kept running mowing over a few trees. It turned around and walked towards its defeated enemy. The other dark spawn stood still, looking disappointed in missing out on the fun but fearful of the 2nd in command.

The ogre raised its fist above the Warden, it smiled to itself. It was going to enjoy this. Then it felt a strange sensation in its chest, it paused for a moment to inquire to itself what this feeling was. It couldn't put a name to it; it was like a buzzing, as if it had swallowed a fly. It decided that this feeling was enjoyment.

He drew his arm back even farther. Its pesky brain hadn't stopped thinking though. If this feeling was enjoyment why didn't it like it? It was an uncomfortable feeling and it was getting worse. It looked down and the Warden, he had begun crawling away. He enjoyed watching him struggle. This was enjoyment, meaning that this other feeling was not. It cursed its enlighten mind, if he was brainless like before the Warden would have made that wonderful crunching sound beneath its fist already. This feeling was bothering it so much though and it isn't like the Warden is going anywhere.

The feeling began to get violent, it was like the fly now had needle feet and was crawling on the inside of its chest. It hated this feeling now, it was almost like a bad itch, and it wanted it to stop. It wanted to tear and rip at its own chest and destroy the fly causing this pain. Maybe that was what the feeling was the whole time: pain.

The ogre screamed in pain and blue lighting jolted out of its chest. The Warden watched the beast touch the hole in its chest with a strange realization look on its face. Its eyes rolled back into its head and it fell forwarded into the snow. Luckily when the ogre paused for whatever reason he crawled far enough away that he wasn't crushed by the giant carcass.

The other dark spawn looked at each other, most with smiles. Not only did the evil 2nd in command lay dead but they also will get to have their fun with the Warden. They all drew their weapons; the Warden could barely stand much less fight.

A Genlock used an arrow to pull back its bow; it wanted to get the first blood. The Genlock, like many of the others, smiled in the thought of what it was about to do. Then it felt a salty tang in its mouth. It relaxed its bow and patted its head. It had begun to sweat but there was snow on the ground and it wasn't like it had been running around. The other Genlock next to it seemed to realize the same thing. They look at each other for only a second, before one of them was engulfed in flames. It screamed and ran into other dark spawn, setting them on fire. Its dark skin became completely black and started to melt off. The whole area where they stood became a fire storm. Every dark spawn was burning in a moment. Some tried to run away but in the chaos of the flames and the other dark spawn it was impossible to see any kind of exit, most just started swinging wildly cutting the limbs of most of their cohorts.

The Warden looked in total disbelief. The Maker must be doing this.

He leaned against a tree as the last of the dark spawn burned up into smoke and its last scream echoed through the valley. A thin figure walked out of the woods and leaned on the same tree next to the Warden. He tried to see her face, but he eyes burned with tears of pain and smoke. All he could tell is she was a female with long black hair.

"Morrigan?" He whispered. He hoped.

The figure laughed and shook her head then pointed to herself.

"Flemeth."

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_ooooooo_._ I bet no one saw _that_ coming. So that was somewhere between a preface and the first chapter. It'll get better, hopefully, as time goes by and i learn some of the tools of the trade. An up side of this being my first fan fic is that it's my main focus. I almost have chapter two done. Yea well R&R if you wish. _


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